"Homer the Moe" is the third episode of Season 13. It first aired on November 18, 2001. The episode was written by Dana Gould and directed by Jen Kamerman. R.E.M. guest starred in this episode as themselves.

When Moe visits his old bartending school to rediscover his passion for the business, Homer is charged with keeping tabs on Springfield's premiere watering hole. But when Moe decides to make his tavern over into something more hip and modern, a disgruntled Homer opens his own bar in the Simpson family garage.

When Homer bores the patrons of Moe's Tavern with an anecdote about Bart pointlessly digging a hole, Moe decides the monotony has become too much to bear. He decides to visit his bartending school, Swigmore University, for inspiration, and leaves Homer in charge of the bar. Back at school, Moe meets one of his old professors, who recommend that he reinvent his "crap-hole". Formico, the self-proclaimed "Dean of Design", helps Moe transform the bar into "M", an exclusive and Duff-less nightclub.

Feeling like outcasts, Homer, Lenny, Carl and Barney set up a bar in Homer's garage. The garage bar quickly becomes popular with working-class Duff drinkers. Moe soon tires of his nightclub's swanky new patrons and goes to Homer's garage, where he finds R.E.M. playing for the crowd. Homer claims that the bar is actually a "hunting club", thus making it legal to serve refreshing (alcoholic) beverages in a private residence, but then Moe points out that they must actually hunt something to qualify. Homer declares that they will hunt a turkey for Thanksgiving, which dismays Lisa.

When Homer goes hunting the next day, Lisa and Moe scare off the turkeys with a whistle that sounds like a cougar. Homer reacts by firing at the source of the sound, shooting Moe in the leg. Homer makes up with Moe and they meet up with the rest of the Simpsons, along with R.E.M., at the restored Moe's Tavern for a Thanksgiving meal featuring a tofu-based "turkey" (provided by the environmentalist R.E.M.).